Rack structure for a dishwashing machine



Dec. 6, 1966 B. B. TOMLIN 7 3, ,6 3

RACK STRUCTURE FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 6, 1966 B. B. TOMLIN RACK STRUCTURE FOR ADISHWASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1966 INVENTOR.55-77715? ZZY/MK/A/ United States Patent Ofiice 3,289,683 Patented Dec.6, 1966 3,289,683 RACK STRUCTURE FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE Betty B.Tomlin, 14502 W. Grand Ave, Elsinore, Calif. Filed June 29, 1966, Ser.No. 561,490 6 Claims. (Cl. 134-147) The invention relates to adishwashing machine and more particularly to an improved rack or trayremovable with the dishes therein for storage in a kitchen cabinet.

One object of the invention is to arrange and support one or more traysin the cabinet of the machine so as to provide a storage space having awidth at least as great as the width of the tray, at the side of thetray. This is accomplished by providing a tray having a length to extendacross the corner of the cabinet, the tray extending from one cabinetwall to the adjacent wall which provides a storage space of the desireddimension between the middle portion of the tray and the corner of thecabinet. A plurality, such as four, of the trays may be similarlyarranged, the trays being arranged in a quadrangle with each trayextending across one of the four corners of a rectangular cabinet. Suchstorage space may be used to house separate dishes or utensils, but aparticular advantage lies in the capability of the tray to supportdinner plates much larger than the width of the tray, the platesoverhanging the tray towards the center of the machine on one side andoverhanging into the corner of the cabinet at the other side.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved support forthe tray to permit ready removal while acting as a sturdy support forthe loaded tray. This is accomplished by providing hooks on adjacentwalls for the opposite ends of the tray at one side of the tray with ascreen or shelf for supporting the bottom and the other side of thetray.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a well known G.E. drawer-typeof dishwasher but it may be applied to other types of dishwashers.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to thedrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dishwashing machine of well-known typeto which the invention is applied together with a cupboard which isadapted to receive the loaded trays removed from the dishwashingmachine.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, thebottom of the cabinet containing trays in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view on line 33 of FIG. 2 showing one form of removabletrays or racks for small articles which may be used at the top of themachine although this form is no part of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the improvedracks or trays of the present invention for holding large dinner plates.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a corner of a kitchenhaving a well-known GE. drawer-type of dishwashing machine 1 which hasslides, indicated at 2, so that the machine can be removed from, or bemoved under, the space under a counter 3. The machine 1 has a lid, notshown, which is cammed into position to cover the open top 4 of themachine when the machine is pushed into position under the counter 3.The machine 1 also has a well-known source of water supply, not shown,and a sump 5 having heater rod 6 for drying, an impeller 7 driven by amotor 8 and a water outlet 9.

The machine 1 is rectangular in shape, in fact being substantiallysquare, having a tank 10 with four walls mutually at right angles toeach other.

The machine 1 has a well-known control 11 for con trolling the rinse,empty, wash, empty, rinse, empty and dry cycles of the machine.

The top 12 of tank 10 has, on the walls thereof, suitable hooks like 13and 14 for removably supporting trays like 15 which may be removed whenthey are loaded with the washed and dried dishes for storage in acabinet, indicated at 20 in FIG. 1, which has shelf spaces 21 and 22 ofa size to accommodate not only the loaded trays like 15 removed from thetop of the machine, but also the loaded trays 24-27 shown in FIG. 4 andarranged in the bottom of the machine.

In the bottom of the machine is arranged a shelf, or screen, 23 abovethe heater rod 6 and above the impeller 7, in position to receive andsupport the bottom portion and one side of each of the four traysindicated at 24, 25, 26 and 27 in FIG. 4. Each of the trays 24-27 is anelongated rectangular tray having spacers like 28, as well known, inorder to space and support large plates 29 at the middle portion of thetray or small plates 30 at the ends of the tray. The trays 24-27 areconstructed of coated wire, as well known, and have sufficientflexibility to permit catching or fastening a corner thereof on thehooks like 31 and 32 which are provided adjacent the middle like 47 and48 of adjoining walls in position to fit the opposite ends of the trayat one side of the tray,

. as indicated at 49, St), for tray 24. Each of the trays 24-27 extendssubstantially from the middle portion like 47 of one wall 51 to themiddle portion of the adjacent wall 52, as indicated for tray 24. Thefour trays 24-27 thus form a quadrangle with each tray extending acrossa corner like 44, 45, 46 of the tank 10. The side 36 of the tray 24 thusforms a triangle with the corner 44 to provide a storage space 37, asimilar storage space like 38, 39, being provided at each of the otherfour corners of the tank. Such storage space 37, 38, 39 may be employedeither to receive a dish or utensil, as shown at 40, or preferably itmay be employed to receive and house several large dinner plates, asindicated at 41, for the tray 27, the dinner plates overhanging the tray27 on one side and projecting into the storage space 38 and, on theinner side, projecting into the open or free space 53 at the centralportion of the machine.

The screen 23 and the hooks like 31 and 32 for each tray constitute, ineffect, a three-point support for each tray, the hooks like 31 and 32providing two points of support at one side of the tray and a corner orportion like 33 of the screen or shelf 23 acting to support the bottomof the tray like 24 and its opposite side 54. The trays 24-27, whenloaded, are readily removable in loaded condition from the machine, asthey simply rest on the screen or shelf 23 and are readily removablefrom their respective hooks like 31 and 32.

For ease of manufacture, the trays 24-27 may all be of the sameconstruction and, when loaded, may be placed in, or removed from, theshelf space provided in the cabinet 20.

From FIG. 4 it is apparent that the distance from the side 36 of tray 24to the corner 44 is at least as great as the width of the tray 24. Thus,an ample storage space is provided between the side 36 and the adjacentwalls 51 and 52 of the tank or cabinet which is of particular advantagewhen handling large dinner plates like 41 which are substantially widerthan the tray itself. The storage space at each corner like 44, 45, 46is thus of the order of the width of the tray, in fact being greater, asillustrated.

As the trays 24-27 are all of the same construction, each one has at theopposite ends thereof an upright loop forming a handle, as shown at 55and 56 in FIGS. 2 and 4 for tray 24. This is also illustrated in FIG. 1

for the trays 57 and 58 which are of the same construction as each ofthe trays 2427, illustrating a loaded tray which has been removed frommachine 1 and stored in cabinet 20.

I claim:

1. A dishwashing machine comprising a tank having a rectangular array ofside walls and top, and a bottom having a centrally positioned sump andimpeller, a rectangular dish tray having a length to extend from themiddle portion of one wall to the middle portion of an adjacent walldiagonally across the corner of said cabinet walls, said tray having aside spaced from the corner of the associated tank walls to provide astorage space, said adjacent tank walls each having a hook forsupporting the opposite ends of said tray, and a screen in the bottom ofsaid tank above said impeller and extending in supporting relation withthe bottom of said tray.

2. A dishwashing machine according to claim 1, said storage space havinga dimension from the corner of said tank to the adjacent side of saidtray in an amount at least as great as the width of said tray.

3. A dishwashing machine comprising a tank having a rectangular array ofside walls and top, and a bottom having a centrally positioned sump andimpeller, a plurality of similar rectangular dish trays each having alength to extend from the middle portion of one wall to the middleportion of an adjacent wall diagonally across the corner of the cabinetwalls, said trays each having a side spaced from the corner of theassociated tank walls to provide a storage space, said adjacent tankwalls each having a hook for supporting the opposite ends of each ofsaid trays and a screen in the bottom of said tank above said impellerand extending in supporting relation with the bottom of each of saidtrays.

4. A dishwashing machine comprising a tank having a rectangular array offour side walls and top, and a bottom having a centrally positioned sumpand impeller, a set of four similar rectangular dish trays each having alength to extend from the middle portion of one wall to the middleportion of an adjacent wall diagonally across the corner of the cabinetwalls, each of said trays having a side spaced from the corner of theassociated tank walls to provide a storage space, said adjacent tankwalls having four sets of hooks, each set being on adjacent tank wallsfor supporting the opposite ends of one of said trays, and a screen inthe bottom of said tank above said impeller and extending in supportingrelation with the bottom of each of said trays.

5. A dishwashing machine according to claim 4, each of said storagespaces having a dimension from the corner of said tank to the adjacentside of the tray in an amount at least as great as the width of therespective said tray.

6. A dishwashing machine according to claim 1, said hooks providing twosupports at said side of said tray, said screen providing a supportunder the opposite side of said tray, said hooks and said screenconstituting substantially a three-point support for said tray.

No references cited.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A DISHWASHING MACHINE COMPRISING A TANK HAVING A RECTANGULAR ARRAY OFSIDE WALLS AND TOP, AND A BOTTOM HAVING A CENTRALLY POSITIONED SUMP ANDIMPELLER, A RECTANGULAR DISH TRAY HAVING A LENGTH TO EXTEND FROM THEMIDDLE PORTION OF ONE WALL TO THE MIDDLE PORTION OF AN ADJACENT WALLDIAGONALLY ACROSS THE CORNER OF SAID CABINET WALLS, SAID TRAY HAVING ASIDE SPACED FROM THE CORNER OF THE ASSOCIATED TANK WALLS TO PROVIDE ASTORAGE SPACE, SAID ADJACENT TANK WALLS EACH HAVING A HOOK FORSUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TRAY, AND A SCREEN IN THE BOTTOM OFSAID TANK ABOVE SAID IMPELLER AND EXTENDING IN SUPPORTING RELATION WITHTHE BOTTOM OF SAID TRAY.